Sapphire Ray's Toy Chest: Shower Stud Vibe from CalExotics

31 August 2014

Shower Stud Vibe from CalExotics

Sunday, August 31, 2014 | With Love ╰☆╮Sapphire Ray╰☆╮ | Edit Post

Intro/Overview
For the month of August I was sent the Shower Stud as a part of the Sexpert Program with CalExotics. The Shower Stud can be used by those who are male or female bodied as there are balls present as well as a suction cup that will act as a flared base. The suction cup base can come in handy in many different ways depending on what you desire. While the Shower Stud has a realistic look but comes in 3 different colors that aren't within realistic colors. You have the option between Pink, Purple or Black as we can see mine has come in Pink! Shower Stud is not likely to please those who are a size queen/king but also isn't the best starter vibrator either. There are several pros and cons within this toy and I will explain them all throughout the review.
So read on to learn more about the Shower Stud and to determine if this stud is the right stud for you.

What Material Is Shower Stud Made Out Of?!
If you are like me you want to what your toys are made out of an if they are nonporous, porous, hypoallergenic and all that wonderful jazz am I right?! Well this is going to throw a wrench into what you all are use to me reviewing, why because the Shower Stud is NOT made of silicone it is made out what CalExotics calls "Pure Skin Material" in short it is a TPR material that is porous, latex free and is from the thermoplastic material category. TPR is a rubber polymer blend that is less porous then cyber skin and jelly but not nonporous like silicone.
So what does this mean in the safety aspect of the material?
It means a lot especially if you are going to be sharing your Shower Stud with a partner or between your own orifices. If you are going to use the Shower Stud anally and vaginally you will need to use a condom since the material is porous you don't want your Stud to absorb fecal matter then insert into your vagina could end badly with an infection. Planning to share your Stud with your partner whether male or female bodied? Whether you are fluid bonded or not I STRONGLY suggest using a condom with this type of sharing as well since again the Shower Stud is made of porous material. Porous materials will absorb bodily fluids, lubricants, cleaners and the likes, so to avoid contaminating anyone with infections or bacteria that has grown in the material use a condom. Being a porous material, the Shower Stud is a breeding ground for bacteria! So even if you are the only one using it I would highly suggest using a condom as well. I understand all the condom talk sucks because we get sex toys so we can have all kinds of sexual fun without having to become fluid bonded with others or whatever your case may be. If your vaginal PH levels get off balance or you have a yeast infection an have used your Shower Stud without using a toy cover or condom he is pretty much useless now. If you use your Stud knowing you have an infection an you don't cover him you either need to use a condom after the damage is done or toss him in the trash. Why toss a "perfectly good toy" in the trash? Well you can't see what the material is harboring and if used when you have any infection once cleared up you will reinfect yourself.
The Shower Stud doesn't have any type of scent to it like most rubbery toys can have. It is good that there isn't an off putting smell to the Stud as I know some materials like TPR, TPE, Rubber, Jelly etc.... Can have a horrible scent. So we get lucky that there is no scent to worry about here.
Shower Stud is plush and has a feeling like some of the other realistic plush silicone dildos I have from another company. You have give when it comes to this Stud as well as have the phallic head and the veins running up and down the shaft.
You also have ABS plastic which is nonporous but you won't have to worry too much about that as the battery cap is the only exposed part made of the plastic.
Then we have a PVC suction cup base, this is porous material but isn't likely to come in contact with the body. The suction cup can however come in contact with bodily fluids if you leak fluids down the shaft.
On the box that the Stud arrives in states that the Pure Skin Material is SAFE & PURE this doesn't mean that you can sterilize it, it just means that it doesn't have latex, phathlates or other chemicals that can cause rashes, burns or the likes.
This material CANNOT be sterilized at all!!!!

Design & Function
The Shower Stud is of course a realistically shaped vibrator with a suction cup base to it. Shower is in its name so we know that is has a waterproof feature which is great for several reasons. The waterproof feature comes in handy for of course shower play but also if you are a squirter/gusher or you wash your toys off in the sink. With the suction cup base you can take it however you want it, you want to straddle it? No problem stick it to your wood or tile floor and mount it. Want to get it doggy style? No problem stick it to the wall in the bathroom or your door! Make sure said door is locked unless you don't care about the hard "thrust" that could easily happen if you leave the door unlocked and someone comes busting through it. In all honesty the suction cup base of the Shower Stud is one of the strongest ones I have had to pleasure or displeasure of using. So if you are worried that the hold will easily release you won't have to worry about that. When I pull up on the vibrator it doesn't budge so I have to use the little tab and pull it up.
I do recommend being careful if you like to be pounded super hard for the simple fact that the plush "sleeve" isn't stationary it moves very easily. Even just playing around to get the feel of it and the head over the shaft moves to side fairly easy so you could end up getting hit with the hard plastic underneath.

When it comes to the function of the Shower Stud there is no set patterns so you are stuck with steady vibrations this is a pro for me where it can be a con for someone who likes patterns. Easy to use control is a turn style base like you would find on most traditional vibrators.
For a simple vibrator the Shower Stud does have some power behind it!! The vibrations are all that buzzy feeling but they aren't rumbley vibrations either, kind of an in between hard to explain type of vibrations. If you are using the Shower Stud in the bed or not suction cupped to anything the sound of the vibrations wouldn't be heard through a closed door with the TV, music or fans on. If you have the vibe suction cupped to something that might be a different story.
The Shower Stud is powered by 2AA batteries which are not included. You will want to insert the batteries and make sure that you close the battery cap completely so water doesn't seep into the battery compartment. When you open the battery compartment you will find a clear plastic tube which is hard to see unless you are looking for it, do NOT remove this plastic tube. The plastic tube is to make sure that your batteries are in nice and tight as well as helping keep your batteries in place so they aren't rattling making a lot of noise while in use. I did have issues getting the batteries out as the first set of batteries I grabbed didn't have much life left in the. I have to remove the battery cap an in a downward motion sling the battery out of the bottom, the first battery is the hardest to remove the 2nd one comes out a littler easier.
I wouldn't say that this would be a good beginner toy even with all the give it has.
The Shower Stud

5 inches long

1.75 inches worth of girth.

Packaging

The packaging for the Shower Stud is NOT discreet at all so if you have to hide the box from nosy folks or nosy kiddos you will not want to have the box out in the open. All of the packaging that the Shower Stud arrives in can be recycled so you can breakdown the box an toss it in the bin. Since the box is made out of cardboard it isn't the best option for storing your Stud. I would recommend either a toy pouch or Ziploc Bag for storage options. The box pops with bright colors and gives you a good bit of information that one might not know about when it comes to toys. Inside of the box you will find your Stud seal in a plastic bag that isn't resealable as well as a generic "Owner's Manual" that comes with most of CalExotics toys.
So there is nothing to special about the packaging.

Caring For Your Stud
As mentioned several times in the review that the TPR material used to make the Shower Stud is a porous material. Porous means absorbing fluids and becoming a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria to grow. So there are only a few ways that you can clean your Stud but none of them will sterilize it. If you try to boil or place the Stud in the dishwasher it WILL melt.

Antibacterial Toy Cleaner

Whether it is a spray cleaner like this where you can spray down your toy and wipe it clean
or
One that you actually have to wash off in the sink you will want to make sure that you rinse the toy thoroughly and allow to dry before storing.

Toy Wipes or Baby Wipes

I only use wipes as a pre-clean method before I use a toy cleaner.

Warm Water & Antibacterial Soap

This one works an you won't have to worry about getting water into the vibe resulting in any type of damage. You will want to make sure that you rinse thoroughly and allow to dry before storing.

Lube compatibility is pretty simple here whatever lube you like you can use whether it is water based or silicone based even a hybrid lube will work with the Shower Stud. I would probably steer clear of oil based lubricants though.

My Experience
My Experience went a little like this........
While I liked the plushness of the material it isn't silicone, which I was game for trying new materials out again.... Note to self stick to silicone okay!!
Beings, I am short I could NEVER no matter what I did to get the Shower Stud placed on the wall of the shower to back up on I was able to ride him while he was stuck on the ledge of the tub. While I was trying to mount him or back up on him for doggy style positioning there were breaks in the vibration so I believe it has to do with the wires on the inside being moved. I can say that there is a STRONG suction cup on the base of this Stud as it took a little more the pulling the release tab on the top of the suction cup.
Fast forward, I took the Stud off the shower wall and off the side of the tub, I then laid in the bottom of the shower and just used the Stud as a normal vibrator. Using the Stud like I would use a regular vibrator I had no issues with the vibration stopping like I did when trying to mount it while stuck to the wall or side of the tub. I was satisfied with the vibrations that came from the Shower Stud as I don't require rumbly vibrations for internal use.
The waterproof function DOES work if you don't twist the dial for the power the wrong way. This could pose a problem as it is easily opened, I had this issue with the dong twisting which also stopped the vibrations because the battery cap got twisted an was opening. I was able to catch the battery cap issue before water was able to get inside of the battery compartment.

So my overall thoughts on this aren't a 5/5 I would have to say that it is a 2/5 as I liked the vibration speed for internal use and the plushness was great for a non silicone toy.
Would I recommend adding this to your toy chest....No I wouldn't recommend it.